


Sweet touch, sweet warmth

by galactic_roses



Series: To Start a Fire [3]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood, Blow Jobs, Body Horror, Canon-Typical Violence, Depression, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gore, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love, M/M, Nightmares, Oral Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 09:02:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20288899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galactic_roses/pseuds/galactic_roses
Summary: From a mix of the prompts, "I thought you were dead" and a request for really sweet Eskel lovin' on Letho as much as he possibly can. Enjoy!Beta-read by the extraordinary deity of writing @merulanoir https://archiveofourown.org/users/merulanoir/pseuds/merulanoir <3





	Sweet touch, sweet warmth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dravenxiv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dravenxiv/gifts).

> The smut request came from Dravenxiv :D

A cloud drifted over the pale autumn sun, blotting out the weak light. The breeze picked up for a moment, stealing the hat of a peasant working in the field and tossing it high into the air. The peasant ran after it, but then his steps faltered. He bent to pick up the woven straw, eyes never leaving the figure riding toward the town. Something about the silhouette was unnerving. It wasn’t until the stranger rode past the field that the man realized what it was: two swords were protruding from beneath the stranger’s travelling cloak.

“Spread the word,” the man panted, running back to the other villagers in the field. “A witcher has come to town.”

The door to the inn swung open, and heads swiveled to stare at the man standing in the doorway, a dark silhouette against the fading light. Reaching up with pale, weathered hands, the man pulled the hood of his cloak back to reveal a scarred, faintly lined face with yellow, cat-like eyes. The alien gaze swept over the room briefly before the witcher walked up to the counter. Many pairs of ears strained to hear what he said, but no one managed to make out his murmured request to the innkeeper. Instead, they watched her fish underneath the counter and come up with a bottle of the strongest spirit they had in the village. The stranger handed the innkeeper a fistful of coins and moved toward a secluded table in the corner of the room with the bottle. Once he sat down, he popped it open and took a long drink. Even the most seasoned drinkers shuddered as they watched, then turned away quickly as the stranger looked up.

Eskel could feel eyes on him as he drank, but every time he looked up the men nearby were immersed in their conversations and didn’t even seem to notice him. After a few minutes he stopped looking up. The fumes from the bottle burned his sensitive nose, but he didn’t really care. He took another long drink.

This had been his routine for long enough that he’d stopped counting the months. He wasn’t even keeping track of the days, only noticing the changing of the seasons. Jobs still found him, and the work was a blessed relief from the darkness that seemed to follow him everywhere he went. Whenever he could pour himself into hunting and killing monsters, he could forget about his missing lover for a few blissful hours.

It had been nearly six years since he’d last seen Letho of Gulet. When they had parted ways they had agreed to meet at Kaer Morhen the next winter. Eskel had waited for the chill in the air to arrive before he made his way to the old keep, but Letho never arrived. He had kept waiting throughout the winter, becoming more anxious with every passing day. When spring came and Letho was still absent, Eskel had left the keep with the intent to find the other man. Though he had searched throughout the country, he hadn’t found signs of the man or even heard word of his passing. 

After two years of looking, he’d given up. Letho had either traveled beyond the Northern Kingdoms’ borders or he was dead. Both options were too awful to think about, so Eskel tried not to dwell on either. He turned instead to the burn of liquor. It seared the darkness from his veins and tingled in his throat, warming him from the inside out when not much else would.

“Excuse me, master witcher, sir,” a voice said nearby. Eskel lifted his head and looked around, the alcohol making his mind fuzzy. His eyes eventually settled on the young woman who stood near his table.

“What?” he grunted, tipping the bottle up to his lips. Finding it empty, he set it down a bit harder than he intended to and looked at the woman again.

“Please, master,” the woman said, clasping her hands together. “My husband has been missing for several days. I last saw him going to hunt in the woods southwest of here, and I’m afraid something…” she trailed off, blinking back tears.

“If he’s been missing for a while it’s not likely I can find him alive,” Eskel said, getting to his feet rather unsteadily. He took a deep breath. It wouldn’t take him long to sober up, and he figured it would be good to be doing something instead of dwelling on his woes. “Show me where you last saw him.”

Following the woman outside, Eskel took a deep breath of the chilly evening air. The cold cleared his head just enough for him to note the direction in which the woman pointed and ask a few more questions, after which he set off through the field grumbling quietly to himself. 

The man’s tracks were easy enough to spot in the leaf litter at the edge of the trees. He checked that both of his blades were within reach and followed the trail deeper into the forest, feeling his head clearing with each step. The woods grew darker around him. Beams of moonlight fell between trees, casting long shadows on the leaf-littered ground. Pupils dilated wide, Eskel moved silently forward, following the faint trail left by the woman’s husband, until he came to a clearing, making him halt. Someone was standing in the moonlight, face turned up to the sky. Dark hair fell in a long braid down his back. He was dressed simply, in a white shirt, dark brown trousers, and a long black coat. A crow sat on his shoulder. The man looked human enough, but something about the situation made the hair on the back of Eskel’s neck stand on end. If his hunch was right, the man was anything _but_ human.

“So, the humans have finally put out a contract for me?” the man said in a light, musical voice, turning to fix dark eyes on Eskel. Reluctantly lowering the hand that had instinctively jumped for his blade, Eskel shook his head.

“Not here for you,” he said. “Here about a missing husband. You see a man come through here some days ago?”

“I did, actually,” the stranger said. He smiled, showing faintly pointed teeth. “I didn’t touch him, though. I don’t think he even saw me. I’ve been wondering where he wandered off to.” The crow perching on his shoulder let out a rattling caw and took flight.

“Which direction did he go?” Eskel asked, trying his best to sound polite. The man in the clearing was most likely a higher vampire. Higher vampires were so scarce that he was surprised to find one in the middle of nowhere. They were also incredibly powerful and intelligent. The last thing Eskel wanted was to accidentally anger him and earn a bloody and painful death.

“South,” the man said, pointing in the proper direction with an elegant, sharp-nailed finger. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to accompany you in your search.”

Eskel stared at him in surprise. Refusing would probably make no difference, as the man had clearly made up his mind already, and Eskel could hardly stop him.

“I guess that fine,” Eskel finally said.

He set off toward the south side of the clearing and picked up the trail at the edge of the trees, the strange vampire following close behind.

“So, why is it that there’s a higher vampire in these woods?” Eskel asked in a whisper, knowing the man could hear him perfectly.

“Just travelling,” came the equally soft response from nearby. “It’s been nearly a century since I last visited this area, I figured I’d come through and see how it’s changed.”

“What with the war and everything, it’s probably pretty different,” Eskel said, focusing on the faint tracks he was following.

“Not as many witchers,” the man commented. “Though I did happen to see another one fairly recently.”

“Did he have white hair?” Eskel asked, questing around with his nose. A faint scent reached his senses, and he sniffed again.

“No hair, actually.”

Eskel spun on the spot and stared at the man, his expression suddenly one of mixed fury and anguish, then he shook his head and turned back to the trail, taking a deep, steadying breath. A songbird in a nearby tree let out three short, sleepy notes. A moment later, another, different bird called. Eskel stiffened.

“I’m afraid we have a bit of a problem,” Eskel said heavily. He turned to the other man and looked him over. Dark, deep-set eyes glittered from beneath the man’s arched brows. His face was pale and angular, his nose thin as a razor. A gold chain sparkled around his neck.

“Did I ask for your name?” Eskel inquired, feeling a bit scattered. The man shook his head.

“I go by Coreil these days,” he replied, showing his sharp teeth in a cheerful yet predatory smile.

“Well, Coreil,” Eskel began, suppressing an involuntary shudder, “the problem is that I believe there is an alp or bruxa nearby, and she’s the one who killed the man I’m tracking. Will you stop me if I go after her?”

“Ooh, no. She’s not mine, and I’m not really one for species-specific comradery. If she’s killed enough for a witcher to be hunting her, that’s her business.”

Eskel looked at him for a moment, then unsheathed his silver blade and pulled two bottles from his pockets.

“If you’re sure, then I can begin.”

Coreil nodded, watching with interest as Eskel slathered his blade in vampire oil, then returned the bottle to his pocket. He took the other bottle and downed the contents, swallowing hard at the bile that rose in his throat. The potion began to work immediately, spreading its poison further through his veins with each beat of his heart.

“That smells… unpleasant,” Coreil said, eyeing him curiously. Eskel shrugged, pulling a bomb from his pocket, then focused himself for a moment before moving forward.

“Come out,” he called. “I know you’re here, you’re covered in blood and I can smell it.”

A soft chuckle echoed from the trees nearby, and a naked woman stepped out into the moonlight. Her curved body was indeed crusted with dried blood that fell to the ground in flakes as the woman shook back her long, red hair. She surveyed Eskel, and her lips peeled back to reveal long, pointed fangs.

Eskel threw the bomb he had prepared without waiting, knowing that hesitation now would mean great injury and possibly death. As it exploded in front of the creature, he drew magic from inside his body and cast two signs with lightning speed. Gold light surrounded his body as purple signs appeared on the ground.

Furious, the alp sprang forward, claws extended towards Eskel’s throat. Ducking just in time, Eskel took advantage of the brief slowing of her movements from Yrden’s effects and struck. The silver bit into the alp’s side briefly before she managed to get out of his range, hissing furiously. Her mouth opened and a shriek issued from it, hitting Eskel with the force of a charging bull. Having prepared for just that, he bent his knees and let his Quen shield absorb most of the shock. The monster sprang toward him again, fangs bared.

He parried her attacks, wishing more and more that he hadn’t drunk anything earlier. His head was beginning to pound. The alp lashed out with sharp claws and ripped through the muscle in Eskel’s left thigh. He swore, stumbling as he tried to put weight on the injured limb, and the monster saw her chance. She jumped for him, claws extended.

Just barely parrying her attack, Eskel stepped to the side and tripped, swearing as he fell. Teeth sank into the side of his neck, then withdrew just as quickly. Eskel scrambled to his feet, pulling a bottle from his pocket and downing the contents while the monster screamed, clawing at her throat. Knowing he had mere seconds, Eskel lunged forward, letting magic flow through his fingers into another sign. Aard knocked the alp backwards onto the ground, and he drove his blade into the creature’s neck, just below her jaw. She tried to scream, but only managed to gurgle before Eskel flicked his wrist and cut open her throat. Acrid smelling blood spilled onto the ground as the alp struggled and flailed, then lay still. Backing up, Eskel pulled hard on the magic inside him and cast Igni, letting the sign swell from his fingers and burst over the creature’s corpse. Seconds later, the body was alight.

Eskel fell to his knees, gasping. The liquid in his veins felt more like poison than blood. He looked down at his hands to see deep purple lines tracing under his white, nearly translucent skin.

“You’re bleeding,” a voice said. Eskel had forgotten about Coreil, who had appeared by his elbow. “Bleeding quite a bit actually.”

The man leaned down and swiped a finger across the side of Eskel’s neck, then lifted it to his lips. Eskel pushed himself away from the man, suddenly worried, but Coreil didn’t seem to want more than a drop.

“Yuck,” the man said, spitting into the bushes nearby. “That’s revolting.” He knelt next to Eskel and offered him several strips of undyed linen. Eskel took the bandages without a word and begin to bind up the wound in his thigh.

“That was certainly fun to watch,” Coreil said conversationally.

“Glad I was able to entertain you,” Eskel gritted, pushing himself up and testing his leg. It held his weight, but the walk back would be a pain, and he still had to find the peasant’s body. Sighing deeply, he hobbled toward the smell of rotten flesh that he’d detected earlier.

He found the man’s corpse easily. It was the freshest body in the pile, despite being drained of blood. Bending down, Eskel pulled a ring off the desiccated finger and turned back in the direction of the village.

“Feel free to lean on me should the need arise,” Coreil said, falling into step beside him. The comment drew a weak chuckle from Eskel.

They stopped once they reached the moonlit clearing. Eskel faced the other man, feeling curious despite himself.

“Are you always so friendly to strangers?” he asked. Coreil smiled.

“Not always.”

“Well, I appreciated the company,” Eskel said, rubbing his palms on his trousers and offering a hand. Coreil shook it with a nod.

As Eskel turned to leave, Coreil spoke.

“That other witcher was headed in this direction,” he said softly. “If you see him, give him my regards.”

Eskel stiffened, then shrugged and limped toward the village.

When Eskel finally dropped onto the bed in his rented room, he was dead tired. His body was still healing, and a good night of sleep would accelerate the process. He closed his eyes.

_His blood was poison inside him. He watched in horror as his veins turned purple and began to stand out and writhe beneath his skin. One vein thrust itself through the skin of his forearm, wriggling like an unearthed worm. A piercing scream echoed in his ears. It took him a moment to realize that the scream was his own._

_ He staggered backwards and tripped over something, sprawling onto the floor. His breath ice in his lungs, he sat up and tried to see what had gotten under his feet. A pair of lifeless, snake-like eyes met his gaze. The body was cold, skin white as death. He looked into the vacant face of his lover and shattered._

Eskel woke up covered in cold sweat. His body shook uncontrollably. Sucking air into his deprived lungs, he willed the tremors away. He should have known that the alp’s saliva would have some effect on him. Taking another deep breath, he pushed himself out of the bed and stumbled over to the window, throwing the shutters open so he could feel the night air on his face. The chill breeze cooled and soothed his sweaty skin.

Leaning on the windowsill, Eskel stared up at the moon. He couldn’t help but remember all the times he and Letho had looked up at it together, fingers and bodies entwined in a close embrace. A lump rose in his throat.

Words rose unbidden into his mind and he began to hum softly. The tune was a sad, lilting one that somehow drifted away from him on the wind, fading into the night. Continuing to sing, Eskel watched the road leading out of the village.

A gentle breeze blew through the trees nearby, ruffling the dried leaves until whispering filled the air. Supple branches danced, for all appearances graceful performers in a night-time ballet. Every movement was wild, yet each was made with choreographed precision. The swaying dance lulled Eskel into a light doze.

Eskel was drowsing on the windowsill when a sound reached his sensitive ears. It was a footstep. Suddenly alert, Eskel lifted his head and stared down at the approaching figure. The cold air suddenly felt like splinters in his chest. The figure was impossibly tall and broad in the shoulders, yet moved with cat-like grace.

_It couldn’t be._

Unable to move or breathe, Eskel simply stared at the figure until it stopped below his window and looked up. Moonlight reflected in the eyes below the hood and glittered off something gold.

“I’d recognize that singing anywhere,” the figure drawled. Eskel choked on a sob.

“No way,” he whispered. “There’s no way.”

The witcher pulled back his hood, and Eskel looked down into a face that he thought he’d never see again. He stood frozen for a moment, then as quick as a flash he was up on the windowsill.

“Bastard,” he hissed, and leapt. A resounding thump jarred his teeth as he landed on top of the other man, knocking him to the ground. A moment later he found the man’s lips.

When they finally resurfaced for air, Letho of Gulet was grinning foolishly up at Eskel, his teeth flashing white in the darkness.

“Gods, I’ve missed you, you animal,” Letho growled, reaching up to cup Eskel’s stubbly cheek in one huge hand.

“I missed you too,” Eskel said. He was suddenly overwhelmed. “How are you here? I— I thought you were dead!”

Letho snagged him around the waist and stood, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

“Long story, my love. Let’s sleep, and I’ll tell you in the morning.”

Rays of sunlight filtered through Eskel’s closed eyelids. Yawning, he rolled over into something solid and warm. The memory of the previous night’s events made him gasp and open his eyes to meet Letho’s warm gaze.

“Morning, love,” the man murmured, his voice still gravelly with sleep.

“I’m glad it wasn’t a dream, then,” Eskel said. He tilted his head back to accept Letho’s kiss. The big man hummed deep in his throat, his fingers curling into Eskel’s shaggy hair.

“Been dreaming of holding you like this for a long time,” Letho said softly, pulling Eskel against his broad chest. They snuggled together for a while, just enjoying the feeling of their skin pressed together.

“Will you tell me now why you went missing for six years?” Eskel finally asked, propping himself up on his elbow and running his fingers over the scars on Letho’s arm. Letho blinked, then grinned.

“Well, it started with accidentally getting a bit lost in the mountains east of Lyria,” Letho began. Eskel raised his eyebrows but the other man hushed him and continued. “Don’t exactly know how it happened, but I managed to miss the Solveiga gate completely, and then before I knew it, I was somewhere in Haakland.”

Eskel let out a disbelieving snort.

“How did you get that turned around?” he asked, covering a grin. Letho scowled at him, then he looked away, clearly embarrassed.

“It’s stupid,” he grunted. “Mistook some mushrooms for a different species and couldn’t tell up from down for nearly a week. By the time I sobered up, I had no idea where I was. The first humans I ran into were a tribe of the Haak people. Had to communicate with gestures to try to tell them what I wanted. Took a while, but ended up convincing them to help me out with some food and directions. Snows started before I could leave, though, so I had to winter there.” He paused for a moment to lift a hand and stroke Eskel’s cheek. “Thought about you every day.”

Eskel took Letho’s hand and kissed it, waiting for him to continue.

“Once the snows melted I made my way southwest, but I got turned around again and ended up being ambushed by a band of warriors on the border of Zerrikania. I would’ve been able to handle a few of them by myself, but there were too many to take on. They took me back to their village, where they locked me up and waited for their elder to deal with me. I didn’t think they would have dimeritium, but they did. They kept me there for weeks.” Letho’s eyes became bleak. “They didn’t hurt me, but they left me with nothing to take my mind off how long I’d been away from you. I was so bored. Eventually the matriarch decided not to dispose of me, and they let me go. I stayed there for a while, learning from the women warriors and taking part in their customs. However, I couldn’t keep you out of my mind, and a few months later I set out for home again.”

He yawned, then pulled Eskel down to kiss him deeply.

“I headed for Elskerdeg pass. Unfortunately, I ran into a Nilfgaardian patrol just past the Angren border and they took an instant dislike to me. I managed to kill half of them before they beat me down enough to shackle me with more dimeritium. After a long argument, they decided to drag me south, all the way to Nilfgaard proper.”

Frowning, Letho rubbed his wrists in an absentminded gesture, and Eskel saw thick, shiny scars under his fingers. A thrill of fury lanced down Eskel’s spine.

“They locked me up in their highest security prison,” Letho continued. “Took me two and a half years of planning to escape. Had to be careful making my way north again, since all the Nilfgaardian patrols were keeping an eye out for me, so I stuck to the untraveled paths and forests. It was like being the wanted Kingslayer all over again. Anyway, it took me another year to get back, and work caught up with me as soon as I entered Rivia. I only just got word of a fellow witcher in the area about a week ago, and then I finally found you.”

“Well, that does explain why I couldn’t find you,” Eskel mused after a long pause.

“You looked for me?” Letho asked, smiling crookedly.

“Of course I did,” Eskel replied. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Letho’s lips. “Now will you do something for me?”

Letho nodded. “Sure.”

Eskel pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and crawled on top of the other man, bending down to whisper into his ear.

“Stay absolutely still.”

Letho froze at the words, his eyes glued to Eskel’s movements. Rough stubble met Eskel’s fingers as he stroked slowly along the line of Letho’s jaw.

“I haven’t been able to touch you in six years,” Eskel murmured, answering Letho’s unspoken question. “So, I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity, and get my fill of you. Gotta make up for lost time, right?” He placed his palm in the center of Letho’s chest. “Now, don’t move a muscle.”

Eskel bent to kiss the tip of the man’s blunt nose, then both cheeks. He moved to nibble the rim of one ear, tugging the earlobe with his teeth, then switched to the other ear. Letho let out a quiet moan as Eskel licked down the side of his neck, then along one side of his collarbone.

“I’ve missed this,” Eskel murmured against the skin of Letho’s throat. He lowered himself until he rested his weight onto the other man, slowly kissing along the other side of his collarbone. “I’ve missed you.”

Letho bit his lip, watching Eskel with hazy eyes.

“I want to touch you,” he growled. Eskel chuckled.

“Not yet.”

Under Eskel’s lips, Letho’s skin was a little rough in some places and puckered where blades and claws had cut into him, but to Eskel it was perfect. Content to take his time, Eskel pressed his lips to the place where he could feel the steady beating of Letho’s heart. He hummed, listening to the calming rhythm for a moment, then pushed himself up to kiss Letho sweetly on the mouth.

“I love you so much,” he whispered, gazing into Letho’s warm, yellow-green eyes. “And I intend to show you exactly how much that is.”

Letho shivered, goosebumps rippling over his muscular arms, and a growl rumbled deep in his chest. Taking that as a good sign, Eskel continued to kiss his way slowly down Letho’s chest, teasing and nipping the skin until the man was rigid beneath him. He could tell that Letho was desperately trying not to squirm, doing his best to obey Eskel’s order for stillness.

“Glad I don’t need anything to tie you down, then,” Eskel teased. “It was a waste of ropes anyway.” A quiet laugh shook Letho’s broad frame.

Eskel felt the liquid pull of desire in his lower belly. It had been so long since he’d been with his lover, and it was beginning to be quite difficult to hold himself back. He wanted to climb onto the man he loved and ride him until they were both slick with sweat and blissfully spent, but he would have to wait. First he was going to watch Letho unravel beneath his touch.

When he finally took Letho’s rock-hard cock in his fist, Eskel let out a soft moan of longing. The sound was echoed by the other man a moment later as Eskel began to move his hand, making sure to touch every inch of the sensitive flesh. Precum leaked between Eskel’s fingers, slicking the skin and adding to the noises that were beginning to fill the room. Eskel gave in to his need; he dipped his head and took the tip of Letho’s cock in his mouth. As soon as his lips closed over him, Letho groaned, hips jerking, and Eskel started to move in earnest. The taste of his lover flooded Eskel’s senses, and desire rippled through his body.

Letho moaned, so wonderfully alive and responsive under Eskel’s fingers, his muscles trembling with the effort it took to stay still. A low whine escaped his throat. The sound made Eskel finally relent. He angled his head, taking Letho’s erection further into his mouth.

“I’m gonna… come,” Letho grunted, his body tensing. Without waiting for another word, Eskel placed a hand on Letho’s thigh and dug his fingernails into the tender skin, relaxing until his lips reached the base of the man’s cock. A feral snarl ripped through Letho’s body as he came. Hot seed spilled down Eskel’s throat and dripped from his lower lip as he pulled back, eyes intent on his lover’s face.

Chest heaving, Letho looked down at Eskel, and the warmth in his eyes sent a wave of heat through Eskel’s body.

“You can move now,” Eskel rasped, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. He gasped as Letho reached down and hauled him bodily forward, kissing him so hard that their teeth clacked together. Neither of them cared.

“Maybe I should get lost for another six years,” Letho said when they separated.

“Don’t even think about it,” Eskel said. “I still haven’t completely out-ruled the option of beating you up.”

Letho chuckled, pulling Eskel tighter against him, and pressed a tender kiss to Eskel’s lips.

“Don’t you worry,” the man murmured, his voice deep and rumbling, “I don’t plan on leaving you again any time soon.”

Snuggling closer to his lover, Eskel sighed with contentment. He could wait to satisfy himself until later. For now, he was happy just to be wrapped in Letho’s arms.

“Wouldn’t get too comfortable,” Letho drawled, the wicked good humor in his voice making Eskel shiver agreeably. “Once I catch my breath… Well, I’m gonna get my fill of you, too.”


End file.
